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Pyroradio.com: What’s going on sir?

Guilty Simpson: Nothing much man, just keeping busy

Pyroradio.com: It’s good to see you out here (London), I know you’ve done a show out here before how does the crowds differ to your home turf?

Guilty Simpson: They have more energy and a deeper thirst for hip hop right now, in the US, the scene is saturated with all the major label stuff so independent artists can get lost, it’s good to come here (UK) where independents artists can get appreciated.

Pyroradio.com: A lot of US artists say that about the UK, there’s a real love for Hip Hop, we still have the same major label artists and are exposed to the same thing but there seems to be an inherent love for the real deal, so being an independent artist verses a major label artist and being associated with Dilla and the musical background you have and the heritage and history of the music that comes out of Detroit, were you given an option to go for a major label deal and if so why did you decide to go with Stones Throw?

Guilty Simpson: I could have, I was given some interest from Slim Shady, there were a couple of people asking about me before I done the Stones Throw deal but it was important for me to make records my way, I’m not saying Shady wouldn’t let you make them your way but sometimes when you get caught up with a major label they want a certain style of music and they want it to be patented or cloned of what’s hot already, that’s not what I wanted to do so coming out as an indie artist and only being able to make one first impression through my music and not being forced to do something else is the advantage of an independent label, you won’t necessarily have the big bucks but at least I’m with the label which will take the risks of letting me be me and be willing to work behind my strengths and promote the record in that way. I don’t think I could get that with a major label because at times you won’t have someone who’s not even in to hip hop making decisions about your record. Being from Detroit helped make me realize this can be a slow process, we’re the underdog, with the exception to internationally.

Pyroradio.com: Yeah being from Detroit and witnessing the success of Shady you’ve witnessed the success of a local artist, are you prepared to put the work in cos with the benefits of being on a major with the commercial deals, publishing anything can happen but when your independent you have that artistic integrity but obviously you have to work that little bit harder are you ready for that?

Guilty Simpson: Yeah most definitely that’s how I’ve got to the point I’m at right now, I don’t know not working and I think that’s important cos some of these artists are on cruise control, specially these bigger artists cos they don’t’ think they have to be that busy because their getting these big checks, they don’t realize what a  major label gives you, you owe that back so even if I was on a major I’d be expected to put that work in, that’s the worst thing to do, not even sell a record yet but be a million pounds in debt imagine the pressure of that, these artists try and portray the rich and famous lifestyle but what they really have is a rich mans debt. I don’t know anything else but to work, I think that’s an advantage on a independent label as well, at least everything done for me and what I’m doing is put in my face, I know where every bit of money from Stones Throw is going on to promote my record. So it’s easier for me as apposed to a thousand people doing different jobs for me, and I don’t know if a lot of people know but an artist is paid last, imagine if you’re a million in debt but your album sells 200,000 copies on a major label, your in deep trouble, so now you have to be willing to put as much work in as an independent artist to shovel yourself out of that debt, I could imagine that’s a lot of pressure on top of thinking if the fans will like you or the climate at the moment and having a million and one people doing your jobs but in a indie you may just have four or five people doing four or five different jobs, at least you know who your paying and you can have relationships with them

Pyroradio.com: The music industry especially with Rap music is too front loaded with money, it’s not organic enough, and I think artists like yourself and Stones Throw are a testament that a label like that and an artist like yourself can have longevity, like your not done in one album. So ‘Ode To The Ghetto’ is out there, how is it being received, you worked with so many greats, Dilla, Madlib, it must be great having those guys behind your music and Mr Porter your very loyal to the local production scene in doing that, what was the thinking behind the production direction behind the album?

Guilty Simpson: Of course working with Madlib and Oh No was a great thing but it was very important that ‘Ode To The Ghetto’ is something for Detroit and is me giving back to Detroit so I think it was very critical that I had a Detroit sound with Mr Porter, Black Milk, J Dilla, I didn’t necessarily wanna make it exclusively a Detroit sound cos I wanted to make it Universal but those are the producers that motivate me and who I came up with, I think it was very important to have that sound cos I think it gave it a sonic theme, and all those guys with exception to J Dilla are on the rise and I think they can match beat for beat with anyone in the game right now, it is a Detroit theme but at the same time it’s a great producer theme, those are the guys that motivate and inspire me production wise.

Pyroradio.com: You’re a pretty hard edged mc and it’s great to see you on the Stones Throw roster I think you give them an edge they needed for a minute. You’re pretty hard edged, straight to the point mc, hard hitting. When you were coming up in the game were you a genuine Dilla or Tribe Called Quest fan or were you more into NWA and the harder early to mid 90’s Hip Hop that you were rocking?

Guilty Simpson: Yeah man I loved Tribe too, you have to understand back in those days you didn’t really have to decide on the type of hip hop you liked you were like hey this is it. I liked Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, but I also liked NWA, Ice T, Ice Cube, Scarface, Geto Boys all those guys there was a gang of rappers I liked, I liked Fooschnickens for a time! I wasn’t limited as a listener, this is something new for me where the listener has to decide what type of rap they like, people contradict your credibility if you like something else that contradicts the other thing that you like, I feel as a hip hop fan you shouldn’t have to decide, I can honestly say I loved A Tribe Called Quest, I’ve got their records, Dlla was a underdog for me, I was still a fan of his but I wasn’t introduced to Dilla until about 1996 when my good friend House Shoes who had a spot St Andrews which I used to go every week and he’d spin his shit all night so I was definitely a fan of his and exposed to his stuff way before other people have, but House Shoes was on it before me, I’m definitely well schooled on my Dilla stuff though, I’m a fan and by the time I met him I was still a fan and it was hard for me too remain a fan cos he was that humble so he became a friend after that, I was still a fan but friendship was first.

Pyroradio.com: Can you point out three tracks on your album that really reflect you as an artist what would they be?

Guilty Simpson: I’ve got a song called ‘My Moment’ which is produced by Black Milk, I like that , there’s a song called ‘I Must Love You’ which is produced by Dilla and I’ve got a song called ‘The Real Me’ which is also produced by Black Milk I pick those three cos they give a different side of what people think is standard of what Guilty Simpson is Because you’d always hear me on features and hear me rap a certain kinda way, ‘My Moment ‘ is hard in a sense but the beat is real futuristic and has a different type of swing to it so I liked that and then with ‘I Must Love You’ I’m talking about the pros and cons of a relationship and either staying or going, and ‘The Real Me’ is like another side of my life, it’s not as deep as the ‘A Man’s World’ track but it’s a piece of me and my reflection on how I see things. Those three are dope cos they give the standard Guilty Simpson fan a change of pace and see different sides of me, cos this is my first album and I think it’s unfair people think I should be a certain way event though I’ve never had an album out before. I want the fan to be able to see my whole picture I’m not gonna make everything soft but I like to deal with topics, with all my features there usually isn’t a topic their just like GO! The tracks that are more serious are the ones that stick to your bones, some tracks that are lyrically or metaphorically driven might not stick to the bones and there’s not something distinctively they can remember they just remember it being a great verse, if you say something they can relate to or feel in their heart they will never forget it. That’s why I picked those songs cos I’ve got three different angles of who I am.

Pyroradio.com: With the Detroit scene obviously Eminem has been hugely important from a world point of view but from an inside point of view how important has Eminem’s role been in the development of the music and scene in the city?

Guilty Simpson: He’s played a critical role I know several people he’s given jobs too that eat well of the opportunity’s he’s given them, obviously theirs people who think he should do more but their not in the position to make those decisions. But what I think what he’s done for the city when he done 8 Mile where he actually filmed it in the city instead of using props and filming it in LA or whatever. He’s going through a lot of stuff, he’s still mourning Proof, he’s got his child, him and his mothers beefs have been well documented so he’s dealing with a lot of things but me personally I know of a lot of things that he’s done for the city and I definitely respect him for it and appreciate everything he’s done and now it’s time for other Detroit mc’s to raise their game. I’m definitely hopefully he can do a lot more things for the city but let that man be who he is because he’s done plenty of things for the city and a lot of the people who speculate and say he doesn’t , don’t even know but I know for a fact that he’s done plenty, get well soon Em. One way or another I’ve benefited from things he’s done most probably.

Pyroradio.com: What’s the next moves for you and what can people expect?

Guilty Simpson: My second single is gonna be ‘Ode To The Ghetto’ the title track from my album. It’s coming out March 24^th in the UK, you guys get it a day early which is cool. My next step is get out and do some show’s and promote this record, then I’ve got ‘Random Acts’ coming out, that’s me and Sean Price with production by Black Milk, that’s coming out in the summer, I’m working on my crew which is Almighty Dreadnaughtz and just really staying busy and keeping humble, getting out and reaching the people! 

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